PETALING JAYA: Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0) chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah was barred from leaving the country on Sunday night.
She was about to fly from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport to South Korea, where she is scheduled to receive the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights award.
The Bersih 2.0 official Twitter account @bersih2 tweeted on Sunday night: "BERSIH Chair, @mariachin just been barred from leaving the country. She suppose (sic) to receive Gwangju Award from Korea."
The reason given was that it was "arahan Putrajaya" (instruction from Putrajaya)
The electoral reforms group had since condemned the order and demanded an explanation from Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.